The firm offered no explanation on why Street Racing was being axed, however, leaving its customers in the dark after many had spent cash on in-game items.

Zynga, which has been valued at $5 billion by independent analysts, did confirm that it will not be refunding its fans. It will instead be offering free credits that can be used in a selection of its other money-making titles.

“As an acknowledgment of the inconvenience these changes may have caused, we have offered credits to all players who have made a purchase in the last 90 days,” read a company statement sent to Develop.

“Those players will receive a credit for the exact amount of their purchases, plus an additional 100 units of premium currency, in any of Zynga’s nine most popular games”.

Develop had established contact with Zynga – a company which, despite its astonishing influence and size, does not publicly provide telephone numbers for the press – and sought an interview with the group’s CEO Mark Pincus.

Develop asked why the firm was shutting down the game, and why it was axing a title that in all likelihood was still yielding a profit. The group declined to answer the questions.

“We thank the Street Racing community for their support and hope they enjoy a new Zynga game of their choosing," read the prepared Zynga statement.

Street Racing’s abolishment highlights the largely untold tension between digital content and its consumers, with more goods existing online and no longer under the unconditional ownership of those who pay for it.